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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a dance
  3. season — in sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com